THE THEATRE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 217, 1 June 1918, Page 11

THE THEATRE

(By "Sylvius.")

"Dick Whittington" 'flu'. Williamson pantomime "Dick Whittington" lias completed mi eight wocko' season in Sydney, uml is now to tour New Zealand. -The tour in as follows—Auckland, Juno 3-15; Gisborne, June 17, IS; Hastings, Juno 20; Napier, Juno 21, '12; Palmerston North, Juno 21; Hawora, Juno 55; Wanganui, June 2C; Wellington, Juno 27-July U; Cbristchurch, July 7-15; Duuedin, July 17-22; Tiuiaru, July 24.' ilr. John Fan-oil will manage and Mr. Charles Jierkoly will tour iu -iidvance,

Comedian Raises £50,000. In recognition of. his work in raising over ,£50,000 for war charities and entertaining soldiers at the front and at home, Mr. George Kobey, the popular English comedian, was the guest at a luncheon at the Criterion Restaurant, London. Sir William Dunn, ex-Lord Mayor, presided, and tho company included Lord Burnham, Sir Thomas Lipton, Major-General Sir Desmond O'Callaghau, and Sir Arthur Pearson. Letters were read from Lord French and Lord Jellicoo. Mr. Robey wore tho uniform of the Motor Transport Volunteers, in which he is a lieutenant. He was presented with a silver service and a cheque for *£200 for any charity. iPinero's Pantomime Play, .' The sentiment' of "Monica's Bliie'Boy" (says the London "Observer") may be. commonplace and the humour domestic; ■but tho little phy without words is perfectly "done," and therefore gives, within its limits, complete satisfaction. Sir Arthur I'inero w«s always first-rate at business and situation (it is his dialogue, as a rule, that gets 'Him .'into trouble with the critics); and.here thero is nothing to come, between us and his mastery of business and situation. The tale of tho prolty youngest -daughter, who stayed at homo to mind the house for her whiskered father nnd her.three war-working and uniformed sisters, and the wounded private soldier who popped in to woo her while the family was out, and, haying won her, , turned out to be a real jive baronet; is charming ahdsweet; and. Sir Frederic Cowen's music, with its pretty tunes and. its jolly humour, is just the ihing for it. .Miss Mary Glynno and Mr. Martin-Lewis as the lovers, Mr, lEric Lewis ns Papa, Miss Anne Waklcn as tho motherly, maid-of-all-work, and threo attractive "ladies as the sisters' did much better at the miming than English players usually :do. ■ " .

"The Naughty Wife." •' - Tn "Tho Naughty Wife," produced at the London Playhouse "in April,' the "Observer' , says:— : , . ".From bDjanning to end we eeo Mr. Haivlrov not oiily pi'wiiitting but encouraging hits young wifn (Miss Gladys Copper) to run away with a-professional lady-killer (Mr: Stanley Logan): He insists on the 'elopement. Hβ makes it not only possible but easy; lends theni; his country bungalow- to elope to , and goes down himself to see that thero aro (lowers in tho vases and a'eupjier on.-'thu. fablo! The wily fellow,.you see, knows how to manago hi,'i young wife and her philanderer; and with the. help of Miss' Ellis Jeffreys as a pretty widow, and 'Mr. Herbert Bunston as a bishop, and Miss Mona Harrison and Mr. 11. , In Higiiett as two perfect servants, ho re-duces-tho sublime romance to a pioco ,of ridiculous and boring naughtiness.. And Mr. Hawtrey, of all our actors,- is the very one to carry this. 6cheme through; to reconcile us to tho lack of variety in the certain working-out of the plot. There is no telling.whether it is to l<red Jackson or Edgar Sclwyn that we. owe the clever adaptation to comedy of.the bedroom-doors business familiar in I'rench farce; but it is very comically done, lhe breakfast next morning, too, 16 shrewdly studied. ■' .. .

London Notes. -• Mr Alfred Butt's latest euccess'at the Lo'ndon Palace Theatre is the musical comedy "Pamela," written by the versatilo Arthur Wimpcris, with music. by Frederick Norton. The cast includes such capable artists as Miss Lily Elsie and Messrs 0 P. Huntloy and Owen Nnres. At tho Savoy' Theatre/London, •at-.pre-sent leased- by .Mr. H.' 8.. Irving,, tho. comedy "Nothing .But-the 'Iruth, by James Montgomery, line been ■produced, by Charles Hawtrey. A notable cast includes tho mimes of A. E; • Mathews, Charles Glcnney, Perceval Clark, Henrietta Watson (who played with Bland. Holt in Australia a quarjer of a century, ago), and Dorothy Minto. • , Miss May. Beatty. (Mrs. Edward Laurie)' and: Miss Florence Vie (laWof \vil-. liamson'e Musical Comedy Co.).w*e.in tho the cast of the-musical comedy ' Carminctta" when the 1 last mail.left. The management of tho Shaftesbury Theatre, whore this play is v running, consists ol George Grossmith (now'in. uniform) and Edward' Laurillard (which, under the circumstances, sounds strangely like that of our old friend Edward Laim). Tho Eccentric Club of London recently organised a big benefit performance inaid of tho Minesweepers' Fund, in which' a glittering array of the best professional talent in London participated. A handsomo souvenir programme contained sketches of rare merit by such artists as Bruce- Bairnsfather, Dudley Hardy, Charles Dixon, John Hassall.Sir.F. Carruthers Gould, tho originals of which w«o sold by auction in the theatre. Ihe •Bairnsfather sketch is,- as usual',.rich in humour. It represents a ' snub-nosed /Tommy sitting on n liyo mine which'hasbeen.cast up on the beach by the-waves, • and as he r recliues on the; engine of destruction he saysto a. soldier pal Stand: ing shivering in front of -him: ; All the time we're sleepin' safe and' soundvin our trenches, ther'e blokes ■ out fishin around'for these things. We must never forgot 'em." . .. . , The tlvree-year rim of 'Ttonmnce, with Doris Keane in the leading part concluded on April 27. It was Avery Hopwood's comedy "Roxana. "Tho Boy" (musical version of Pmero's "The Magistrate") completed its 250 th performance at the Adelphi Theatre, London, on April 29. . >

Notes. , "General Post," a whimeical war play, which lias been running in London for-a year past, is to to played in. Melbourne next week.' The cast will include Messrs. Graham Browne, Arthur Styan, Misses Nellio Stewart and Lizotto Parkes. Mr J. Culford Bell, the well-known toncher of elocution, has been rejected aa ineligible for active military service.; Mr 11. J. Shate, the Wellington arnatour who showed such promiso when ho played the miser in "Lea Cloches de Cornevillo" a few years ago, is now with the foixes of New Zealand in Engand. On leave recently in London, ho did the round of the shows, and write interestingly on his impressions to his brother of tliTmembere of the Ada .Reeve Company havo left New Zealandfor Australia. Miss Eeeve, with. Mr. Harry Jacobs Miss Lucy Lindaj- and Mr. Kennedy Allen, we to appear -n Pahiatua this evening. They will probably proceed to Australia shortly. .. : .